Plant biology provides inspiration for PFAS replacementThu, 29 Oct 2026 20:00:00 +0000 Forever chemicals are renowned for their durability and their non-stick properties, but they persist for years in the environment. An alternative inspired by plants doesn't have the same problem | |
Birds can get jet lag on long, fast flights and then fly off courseThu, 29 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000 On fast flights across the Atlantic, the body clocks of Manx shearwaters get out of sync with local time, leading them to veer away from the most direct flight path | |
Inhaling CO2 may rescue nerves’ ability to regrowThu, 29 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Breathing out after birth switches off the ability of tissues to regenerate, a study in mice suggests. But the pathway seems to be reversible | |
Key oddity of quantum physics may run even deeper than anticipatedThu, 29 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000 Quantum mechanics stands out by being probabilistic and a new analysis suggests that this property can be traced unexpectedly deep into the theory’s mathematical foundations | |
Twisteddoodles on scientists in horror moviesWed, 28 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000 This week's cartoon from Twisteddoodles | |
Tom Gauld on how to scare a scientistWed, 28 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Tom Gauld's weekly cartoon | |
Why the world’s first spinal cord transplant is so controversialWed, 28 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000 A spinal cord transplant happened in people for the first time during a surgery in Russia, but the evidence underpinning it is lacking | |
Our verdict on Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel: Not her best bookWed, 28 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000 The New Scientist Book Club has been reading the Station Eleven author's latest speculative novel. While they found lots of things to praise, there were criticisms of the pace of this near-future-set story, says Alison Flood | |
The King’s Observatory could be yours for the low, low price of £18 millionWed, 28 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000 The King's Observatory in London, built on the orders of King George III so he could watch the 1769 transit of Venus, is up for sale. Feedback is interested – but not sure if our bank balance will stretch to the asking price | |
This week’s new questionsWed, 28 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000 If aliens with technology similar to ours lived on a planet orbiting Proxima centauri (the next-nearest star), would we be able to see unmistakable signs of a technological civilisation? Of life? And what is the advantage of eggs over live births? | |